Sierra Leone Remembers Mudslide Victims

Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio on Tuesday joined dozens of survivors of a mudslide that hit Freetown last year to remember the dead.

Around 500 people, many dressed in black and white, gathered in a church in the Regent district, where on August 14, 2017, heavy rains caused the partial collapse of a mountain, leaving a red rock scar looming over the West African capital. At least 312 people were killed and more than 2,000 were left homeless.

"We are here to acknowledge the pain, the trauma of the mudslide tragedy," said Bio, who took office in April.

He told the crowd, including many who had lost limbs as well as loved ones to the disaster, that a memorial would be built in the disaster zone.